In every genre of music, there are certain artists or acts that have universal appeal. Their music is so powerful; their message is so relevant that it is impossible to ignore their contributions to music and to modern society in general. Artists like The Beatles, The Doors, and Jimi Hendrix all personify this legendary status with their musical achievements. Hip-hop music has had several of these types of stars, but one stands head and shoulders above the rest.

Tupac Shakur has touched countless lives with his music and even more lives since his untimely death in 1996. His brashness, sensitivity, and larger-than-life image played a huge role in his popularity. Tupac was one of the only rap artists to take a stand on record, proving to the American public that hip-hop was not mindless entertainment. Through his posthumous releases and DVD appearances his legacy has lived on for the younger members of the hip-hop community to enjoy and treasure.

Knowing this, Death Row Records has released for the first time ever his last recorded performance, two months before he was murdered. In Tupac: Live at The House of Blues, Tupac and his crew The Outlawz captivated the crowd, performing classics such as "Troublesome," "So Many Tearz," and the classic diss record, "Hit Em Up." This song features Tupac and The Outlawz degrading the character of rival The Notorious B.I.G., as well as other New York MCs such as Lil' Kim, Lil' Cease, and Mobb Deep. Before the song even starts, Tupac has words for New York legends Jay-Z and Nas, who never got along with Tupac. The tone of Tupac's set isn't limited to aggression, though, as he showed his sensitive side while performing "Never Call You B***h Again." This song sympathizes with his female fan following, which was a main reason for his success in the first place. Tupac's set should have been longer-it seems a little rushed at times. His set is only eight songs long, and clearly the crowd was ready for more hip-hop as Snoop Dogg and The Dogg Pound came onto the stage.

In my opinion, Snoop should have been included on the cover of the DVD somewhere, as he performed 14 songs for the ecstatic audience. He catered to fans of his earlier music, performing hits such as "Whats My Name" and "Murder Was The Case." He let The Dogg Pound handle a lot of the stage time, and they performed a few songs, even an unreleased track that I felt was the best performance of the night. While their set was extremely energetic, a few awkward pauses between songs and the occasional bumbling of lines slows down the pace of the music. During the Dogg Pound's set, we the viewers are lucky enough to see Death Row CEO Suge Knight dancing to the funky West Coast beat provided by Daz Dillenger, Snoop's cousin. Tupac then returns to the stage, and after about five minutes of messing around with the sound in the arena and a few more choice words for Biggie, he assists Snoop in performing "2 Of America's Most Wanted" to end the show.

While the set of the concert may not have been the most visually appealing, and as the soundman struggled to do his job, Tupac and Snoop still delivered a great performance. Along with the concert, the DVD features five full-length Tupac music videos ranging from singles to rare songs. This DVD should have been released years ago due to its significance in the history of hip-hop. This is a rare concert because Tupac and Snoop shared the stage and it was the last time that Tupac would ever perform live in front of a camera. Love him or hate him, any hip-hop historian simply cannot deny the significance of this concert and its place in history.
Source : thecowl.com